
Credit: Vertical Aerospace
Vertical Aerospace, a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation, and Bristow Group Inc., a global provider of innovative and sustainable vertical flight solutions, announced an expansion of their strategic partnership to bring advanced air mobility (AAM) into commercial operation.
The companies will develop a scalable, capital-light eVTOL operations platform, designed to reduce barriers to adopting these aircraft by providing Vertical’s current and future customers with fully integrated solutions to launch services without building operational infrastructure from scratch.
This "ready-to-fly" model, which mirrors existing, successful operating models adopted by regional airlines, includes access to certified aircraft, trained pilots, maintenance, and insurance – allowing VX4 customers to focus on customer experience, sales, and network integration, while Vertical and Bristow manage aircraft operations on their behalf.
Vertical’s VX4 is a piloted, four passenger, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with zero operating emissions. Vertical will also be launching a hybrid-electric variant, offering increased range and mission flexibility to meet the evolving needs of the advanced air mobility market.
Under the memorandum of understanding between the companies, Bristow has also placed a pre-order for up to 50 VX4 eVTOL aircraft, with the option to purchase up to 50 more. This expanded pre-order builds on the strategic partnership launched in 2021 and reflects Bristow’s confidence in the potential of Vertical’s VX4 aircraft, including its commercial viability, certification path, and delivery roadmap.
“We are excited about expanding our relationship with Vertical and helping move the future of advanced air mobility forward,” said Bristow President and CEO Chris Bradshaw. “Bristow has over 75 years of providing critical safety, operational, certification, and logistics expertise, and this agreement outlines a framework to help scale these new aircraft globally, offering customers a seamless path from concept to revenue.”
Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said: “This strategic partnership is about execution and mirrors what already successfully works in aviation today. It will lower barriers to market entry and accelerate the adoption of eVTOL services worldwide. Together, we’re making it easy for customers to adopt electric flight, allowing them to focus on what they are best at – customer service, loyalty and sales.”
Bristow will leverage its global operational footprint, including multiple Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) and Bristow’s global MRO network approvals, to offer fully managed operations for Vertical’s current and future customers. Target customers include airlines, logistics operators and rescue services – sectors where Bristow has over seven decades of mission-critical experience across the world.
As part of the strategic partnership, the companies will harmonize their respective safety management systems and use the VX4’s cloud-connected architecture to deliver predictive maintenance, enhanced reliability, and data-driven fleet insights. The companies are also exploring maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, including battery swapping and field maintenance solutions
This agreement is a key enabler of Vertical’s Flightpath 2030 strategy – its roadmap to delivering scalable, certified, and commercially viable eVTOL operations globally. It also builds on Vertical’s recent completion of the first-ever wingborne flight of a winged eVTOL in European open airspace – a critical step toward certification and commercial launch that reflects growing regulatory confidence in the capabilities of the VX4.
Vertical combines partnering with leading aerospace companies, including GKN, Honeywell, and Leonardo, with developing its own proprietary battery and propeller technology to develop advanced and safe eVTOL.
Vertical has about 1,500 pre-orders of the VX4, with customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Japan Airlines, GOL and Bristow. Certain customer obligations are expected to be fulfilled via third-party agreements. Headquartered in Bristol, the epicenter of the UK’s aerospace industry, Vertical’s experienced leadership team comes from top tier automotive and aerospace companies such as Rolls-Royce, Airbus, GM, and Leonardo. Together they have previously certified and supported over 30 different civil and military aircraft and propulsion systems.
Bristow primarily provides aviation services to a broad base of offshore energy companies and government entities. Bristow’s aviation services include personnel transportation, search and rescue (SAR), medevac, fixed-wing transportation, unmanned systems, and ad hoc helicopter services. Bristow’s other services include fixed wing transportation services through a regional airline and dry-leasing aircraft to third-party operators in support of other industries and geographic markets. Bristow currently has customers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Dutch Caribbean, the Falkland Islands, India, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Spain, Suriname, Trinidad, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
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